Living Stone
by Terra Saltt
Summary: The graveyard is watched over by a stone protector. When you need someone to talk to, he will listen. If you stay after sunset the statue will come to life. But who would come to a graveyard at night? SuFin. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**ALL WARNINGS:**

**BL. SuFin. Human AU**

**Takes place very far up north where they have the 'endless winter night' where the sun doesn't rise for a few months of the year.**

**I'm posting this as an 'I'm sorry' to the people who are mad about me not finishing my other SuFin called Violet Eyes myself. I wrote this awhile ago and figured it would make a good bubblegum scented band-aid. :) It will be four chapters long and is already finished so updates will be daily and swift. Enjoy~**

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><p>I'm not sure how I was born. Certainly not like the other people of this world that walk around blissfully in the sunlight. If that were true I would remember it, wouldn't I? I could never be certain. One night I just…woke up. Right in the middle of the graveyard. I questioned whether or not I was dead but that question was soon answered as the morning sun rose over the snowy hills.<p>

I remember seeing the soft rays of sunshine fall over the gravestones and make the snow patterned in my footsteps glisten and sparkle. It was beautiful as if I were seeing it for the first time. In fact, I was. But as fate would have it, within seconds of the warm light hitting my body I froze. No, not in ice. I was encased in stone. Thus began my life as a statue in this quiet place of the sleeping dead.

My senses and consciousness are preserved when I am stone. I can't feel things like if someone touches me or if a bird lands on my broad shoulders, but I can certainly hear the wind blow through the trees or the mourning of those burying their dead in the cemetery. My vision isn't very well, stone or not, so I wear glasses. Don't ask me where they come from because I'm not sure myself. My perch is on a marble base near the back of the graveyard where the old tombs are, perfect for guarding them I guess. It sounds right to me; I have to have been born with a task. Statues don't come to life for no reason, do they? I must have been a protector.

My existence is a quiet one. I have spoken maybe once or twice in my short lifetime here and never expected to hold any kind of conversation with anyone. Who comes to a graveyard at night? Nobody I know of, that's for sure. If I did know of anyone I wouldn't be so lonely.

Day in, day out I would stand watch and protect the perished loved ones of the living. You would think of a graveyard to be a constantly depressing place, but when there is nobody around it is peaceful. Not a single person has noticed the statue in the back changing positions to view different patches of the land by the rapidly shortening days of winter. Well…perhaps one did. But nobody believed him or bothered to care.

A young man named Tino.

When you have nothing to do but sit still and watch what is in front of you all day you begin to pick things up out of boredom. Such as the man in a light blue coat wearing a white baret that comes from time to time to lay flowers down in front of a grave. When it was night I investigated the grave and found it belonged to someone recently buried named 'Lukas.' There was no last name, which I found odd, but no need to think too hard because I would never hear the reason why anyway.

I learned Tino's name when he came to the funeral service. He was a strong one that didn't cry that much, but he was clearly pained. Another man stood by him when the coffin was lowered into the ground. From my spot by the tombs I heard his name was Mathias and by his distraught look I picked up on he and Lukas's relationship. Apparently they were husband and husband. How sad to have lost your lover…but I would never know. Tino and another shorter man tried to comfort Mathias but were shoved away. When the spiky haired blonde stomped off with tears running down his face, the shorter men said their respects quietly. That was the last time I saw Mathias here.

It was almost a month since that day and every so often the man with short blonde hair and a white baret would come back to visit the grave of his friend. Each time the visits became longer until he was staying almost until dark. That wasn't hard as the winter progressed and the days got shorter and shorter but it was obvious he was finding this place as peaceful as I did. Soon there was only an hour of daylight that I stood frozen, and that was also getting shorter as well.

Sometimes he took walks around the site and admired the crumbling beauty of the other headstones as if it were just to waste time. When he came by the tombs I was always in my usual position standing guard. I don't know why the man in blue and white made me so curious, but I was. I strove to reach out and tap him on the shoulder, perhaps bend over and whisper his name to get his attention. Though I tried my hardest, I never could. Not until the sun set.

He noticed that I turned directions sometimes. He also noticed how I held my hands to my sides or in the pockets of the long dark blue coat I was born with. (Whoever my sculptor was, I thank him for that. It kept me warm during cold nights.) His little eyes opened wide when he saw the small changes nobody else seemed to notice and he started making sure to walk by me in his visits. I loved seeing him smile in awe when he discovered something new about my posture. It was a nice change from the distant frown on his face by Lukas' grave.

One day he spoke to me.

The tiny bit of sunlight was only around for perhaps ten minutes at best. The sun barely came up over the hills before it moved across the sky a few miles and sunk back down along the horizon. A little twilight and the following darkness were upon the cemetery that allowed me to move around without too much difficulty. People still didn't come at night, it was superstition. When the days did come to and end I was going to miss my visits from the man in blue and white.

Tino walked around a little after visiting Lukas and came to me like he always did. That perfect face lit up when he noticed I moved my arm a little compared to the last time he saw me. He was smiling softly, but I was frowning so hard internally that I was sure my jaw was going to crack. The man had a black eye.

He ran his gloved hand over the stone of my chiseled arm and sighed. "I wonder why I'm the only person who sees that Mr. Statue changes all the time?" he said to himself then turned his questions to me. "How do you do that?"

Tino looked at my stoic face watching the sun begin to set as if I could answer. All I wanted to do was know how Tino got hurt and who did this to him, but he wouldn't tell me. He wouldn't talk to me much more anyway. Talking to me was like talking to a brick wall, quite frankly. If only people knew that some brick walls listen.

I ended up being wrong about my assumptions and he continued. "Hm…I wonder if you have a name, anyway?" Tino searched my marble stand to find no inscription of any kind, just as I had the many times I searched for clues of my birth. "Looks like I'll have to name you, then. What are you…?"

If a statue could sweat, I would be. Tino was looking at me so closely I would feel his foggy breath on my skin if it weren't made of rock. He peered at my face for a long minute before speaking again.

"You're a pretty fierce looking guy, aren't you Mr. Statue? Hmmmm…but you don't look mean or evil. I guess that's why you guard the really important tombs, huh?" Tino smiled brightly when an idea popped into his head. "You need a name that suits you well. Something strong but nice. How about…Su-san?"

He thought that name sounded strong? Like hell. Still, just looking at his happy face once he picked a name for me made my stone heart feel warm. It was the only name I was ever given and he was such a nice person to do so for a hunk of rock that couldn't talk back, so I decided that name would do.

"Uh-oh…it's getting late." Tino looked to the darkening sky and blinked. Though being in a cemetery at night was bad luck, he seemed reluctant to go. I still wanted to know about the black eye and wanted him to stay as well. But hopeful wishing gets you nowhere, and soon the man in blue and white was gone.

Night loosened my muscles and I stepped off my perch with heavy steps. I had almost twenty four hours until the next bit of sunlight would drape the land in its embrace, if the sun even came at all this time.

OOOOOOOOOO

Only three more days went by, no sign of Tino, before the endless night came. I didn't have to worry about the sun for a very long time now. I spent my days exploring and cleaning Lukas's headstone of fallen snow. It gave me something to do and I wanted it to be in pristine condition the next time Tino came back…who knows when that will be, though.

As a hunk of rock, I didn't need much. I never felt sleepy or hungry, and the temperature hardly bothered me at all. Normal people would freeze to death for being out here as long as I did but it was no problem for me. My long blue military-style coat and matching warm hat was all I needed. That and a little company. Let's not get carried away though.

I heard a noise in the dead of a starless evening (or was it morning? It was impossible to tell when the sun never rose) like a car engine. Someone was coming by the graveyard? At night? That was certainly a first. I quickly took my place on my stand again and tried to look as still as possible. The darkness would conceal the fact that I was not stone anymore from whoever was crazy enough to venture into the resting place of the dead on such a cold moonless night. Why was I afraid? Don't ask me.

The figure stumbled out of their car and made a beeline for the heart of the cemetery. I could hear their ragged breathing from here as they found a grave somewhere around Lukas' and sunk to their knees. The person bellowed an angry cry that quickly turned to a shriek of anguish.

"Wh-why did you just go?" the person shouted at the grave. I knew that voice somehow, but it was too choked with sobbing for me to tell. "Why did you do this to Mathias? You're the only thing that h-held him together! My life is hell now thanks to you!"

Now I understood who this sobbing person was. It was Tino.

"I h-hope you're happy, Norge! Why did you leave? Why did you leave!" The man's voice gradually became lower and lower until I couldn't hear him anymore. To see this man so broken and distraught left me feeling rather broken hearted myself. He was all alone, and I knew how much being alone could hurt.

Before I could stop myself my legs had carried me over the frozen ground and to the man that named me. He didn't even hear my heavy crunching steps when I came near. I still couldn't see him very well in the dark, but I knew his hair was a mess and his clothes were disheveled. He held his arm over his chest in a sling. He got hurt again?

Tino's sobs immediately stopped when my hand went to his shoulder. This was the first time I ever touched another person before so I didn't know quite how I should do it. Whatever I did, it scared him. He whirled around so fast that he fell over in his surprise. He yelped when I stared down at him, not sure what I was doing but knowing I had to do something. I realized what I must have looked like to him: a huge menacing shadow. I wasn't surprised when he covered his face with his good arm and began to pray that God forgive him for treading the path of the dead at night and spare him from this beast.

Clearing my throat, I took a step back. Something came out of my mouth that was intended to be speech, but I really didn't have much experience with my vocal cords. It made Tino scoot back and press himself tightly to Lukas' headstone.

"D-d-don't hurt me! P-please, I'll n-never trespass again! I promise, please d-don't eat m-me spirit or demon!" I had to say something or the man would leave and never come back. I really didn't want that. Mustering up everything I had, my lips formed a word.

"S-Su-san…" Tino didn't seem to catch it so I said it louder. That time he stopped and looked up at me curiously. I crouched down so I wasn't towering over him and held out my hand for him to shake like I saw other people do when they met. "T'no."

The man's face was hardly readable in the dark. Mine must have been too, because he didn't shake my hand. I stood back up impatiently and took his good elbow to pull him up before the snow got into his clothes. Turns out it already had, so I tried to brush him off. Tino shrieked when my gloved hand touched him and I pulled away. He took off running for his car and I let out a breath. All I wanted to do was help him, now I might never see him again. The summer days would be as lonely as these winter nights.

Thump.

A sound brought my attention towards the fleeing man again to see he had fallen on the ice. I quickly trotted over to make sure he was alright. He wasn't moving when I turned him over. A small dark splotch on his forehead told me where he fell. Tino must have hit his head and was groaning in discomfort in my arms when I picked him up off the cold ground. He didn't open his eyes and I checked his new wound. Squinting, I could see the blood but it wasn't too bad. I concluded he would be fine…if he could keep warm until he woke up.

Looks like I do have a purpose after all.

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><p><strong>You know what this means…CUDDLE TIIIIME~<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

People are surprisingly warm to the touch. When I took my gloves off and tried my best to clean the scratch on Tino's face I could feel the smooth heat of his skin past the chill on his cheeks. The wound stopped bleeding with my care and I carried Tino to my marble stand across the cemetery. It was nerve wracking to hold him like that. The man wasn't heavy, but I never carried someone before so I didn't know how fragile they were. I treated Tino like he was made of glass just to be safe.

He wasn't out for very long. Almost an hour went by while I sat with him under my coat, trying to keep him from shivering. The young man fit snuggly between my legs and only the top bit of his head stuck out from the thick wool coat below my chin. My head rested on his silky hair while he lay with his back to my chest. Inside it was warm and safe, and I had my arms around his smaller body very lightly, determined not to let him freeze. He moaned a little and I felt his good arm move. Tino was going to be awake soon…shoot, what do I do?

"Emil…" he murmured. In my panic I froze. "…Turn the heating pad off…"

It was then that Tino's eyes fluttered open. It was still too dark to see, but he must have known something was wrong when he noticed he wasn't with anyone named 'Emil.' Tino wiggled a little and winced when he tried to move his arm in the sling. I couldn't really move at all either, I was petrified. What was I supposed to do in this situation? Let him go? Keep him here? Was he going to be afraid of me again? I didn't want him to fear me. I wasn't a monster of the graveyard, I was a protector. I was Su-san.

"…Ow, where am I…?" His hand searched the inside of my coat before finding my arm loosely draped around his midsection. I knew I should have been doing something, but…I was too afraid. Tino went rigid when he realized he was being held. His head turned up to look at my face, which was staring down at his. I couldn't help but stare; there was nothing else I could do. I expected him to scream and fight to get away from me, but he continued to stare as if I were some magical creature thought to not exist. His breath held in his chest when his eyes widened in surprise. "You…you're the statue…aren't you?"

I nodded, thankful he finally recognized me. "Su-san," I said. My name was getting easier to say with practice. "Yoo are T'no."

Tino continued to stare at me in awe. "But…what happened? How did you…?" I took an arm away from my hold on him and lightly brushed a strand or two of hair away from his injury. His hand came up to feel it and pulled back when he discovered it was raw. "Oh yeah, I fell. Um, why are you holding me?"

"C'ld," I replied. He jumped at my voice.

"O-oh, yeah it is cold out here…how long have I been out?"

I shrugged and finally unwrapped my other arm from his waist. Both hands appeared out of the long sleeves and I unzipped my coat so Tino could get out. He didn't seem to be that scared anymore by some miracle. The man in blue and white stood and I steadied him when he was about to fall.

"Thanks…you are a statue right? But you're alive?" I nodded again. "Woah, so that's why you always seemed to move! Why didn't you ever try to talk to me or something?"

I shook my head. I knew this wasn't much of an answer but I didn't quite know how to speak well enough to explain yet. Every time I opened my mouth Tino would jump.

The man looked up at me puzzled. "So you couldn't? That's too bad…you seem nice. Um, thanks for keeping me safe just now. I know I'm not supposed to come here at night but I just had to…" he trailed off and I blinked. "I need to get going now, the others will get worried. Well, Emil might." I nodded and escorted him to the gates to catch him just in case he slipped again. Before leaving he stopped at Lukas' grave and bowed his head in respect. "I'm sorry for what I said, it isn't your fault. None of this is."

I wanted to question him but he turned around and smiled at me. It was so warm I almost slipped on the ice myself. Seeing that was like looking at the sun, but it didn't turn me to stone. In fact, it melted me completely.

"Um, I'll see you around?" When I didn't respond he nervously laughed and headed for his car. "Thank you!"

I waved to him from the front gates and he drove away into the silence of the never ending night. That was my first encounter with the man in blue and white, and I was hopeful for another.

OOOOOOOOOO

Tino came back on a brighter night. He walked into the cemetery and paid his respects to Lukas, then walked to where I normally stood. I didn't go greet him because…well, I was nervous. Tino was having that effect on me. The shorter man found me sitting on my stand and he held out his hand.

"I don't think we properly met last time. My name is Tino." I hesitantly shook his hand firmly and let mine fall.

"M' Su-san."

"So you liked that name I gave you?" Tino kicked the snow nervously with a light blush on his cheeks. "Um, sorry if it was kind of weird. I give things weird names sometimes. Like my dog Hanatamago. It means 'flower egg' which I admit is kind of strange for a dog name but it just fit her so well."

I nodded to say I didn't mind. He could call me whatever he liked.

Tino clapped his hand against his shoulder and smiled. "Great! So why are you here? How did you come alive?"

Those were pretty good questions. My shoulders went up in a shrug.

"You don't know?"

Yup.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm here because one of my close friends is buried here. You probably know that, though. Are you the one that always cleans his headstone?" A nod from me confirmed this. "Thanks, that's really nice of you!" Another smile. I was starting to feel my cheeks redden at the sight. "You're all alone here, aren't you? I never see any other statues around. Are you the only one?"

"Hm."

"Oh…" Tino was trying his best to keep conversation going, I could tell. I felt horrible that I was making him so uncomfortable, so I opened my mouth and cleared my throat.

"Yoo c'me by oft'n. Nice comp'ny."

Tino blinked and tried to understand me. I looked away, embarrassed at how awful I was at this. "You notice me here? Is that what you mean?"

"Hm."

Tino put his hand in his pocket. "I guess I do come by here a lot. It's quiet, unlike home."

I gave him a questioning look and he leaned back on the wall of a tomb next to my stand. "Oh, you know how it is. Lukas passed away awhile ago and Mathias, his partner, is still trying to get over it. We're all really sad about the whole thing but nobody is sad like Mathias. Lukas was everything to him." Tino's voice became soft. "When he died, Mathias started drinking. Things haven't been the same since then…"

I stole a glance at his sling and remembered the black eye from before. After pointing them out, Tino took a step away.

"N-no! Those were accidents, he didn't mean to do it…he was drunk. People do stupid things when they're drunk. Besides, if I stay angry at him I'll just find myself unable to live there. I don't have anywhere else to go, so it's not like I can escape."

No wonder Tino's visits were frequently longer. His home was scary and even violent. If I ever got my hands on Mathias he'd be a dead man for hurting poor Tino. Tino didn't deserve it.

"Hey, it's okay!" the man flinched. I must have been glaring. "It's nothing I can't handle, really! I'm just focusing on my job and getting my own place. It'll be fine!"

I wasn't convinced. My hand reached for his light blue coat and I gave it a tug in my direction. He was off balanced a bit and stepped forward, and there I hugged him. This is what people did to those that were hurting; I saw it many times during the funerals. Tino looked like he needed it. At first he was rigid, but soon he relaxed a little and even hugged back.

"I was right about you, wasn't I?" He said quietly. "You are really fierce looking, but you are very nice. I wonder why you are so alone?"

I pulled away before it could become awkward and wiped away a tear threatening to fall from his almost violet looking eyes. He smiled and thanked me for caring enough to listen. If I could, I would have told him how much I enjoyed to hear him talk. I would always be here to listen to whatever he had to say. I was a statue, what more could I do?

OOOOOOOOOOO

Tino came around quite a bit now. He always visited Lukas' grave first, then went to me. We sat by the extravagant tombs and he talked about whatever came to mind. I listened intently to everything he said and retained as much as I could about his life.

Tino worked in a coffee shop in town and lived with his friends Emil and Mathias, though 'friend' is not a word I would use to describe the abusive man. He was Finnish and spoke a little Norwegian. Blue was his favorite color. (Obviously.) Tino enjoyed his coffee black. His favorite show as a kid was The Moomins. His dog was as white and poofy as snow and sounded very cute. Tino promised to bring the pooch soon to let me meet her. He was single. That last part made me rather happy, actually.

I had to admit, I was experiencing something I never had before deep down inside me. I wasn't a fool, I knew what it was. The emotion overwhelmed me at times and had me craving the next visit from my new friend. To my delight he came frequently until he was here almost every day, just to talk to me and keep me company. Once Tino had to use me for warmth again, as it was so cold his running nose was starting to freeze to his face. He was snug in the warmth of my long blue coat and protective arms while I tried to resist the urge to do something stupid and ruin the perfect moment. Despite the awful weather, Tino still stayed to talk to me. You have no idea how happy I was just to have him near, and if that isn't love than I don't know what is.

I let my affections show quite a lot. I wasn't the kind of person to hold something like that in and keep it a secret. If Tino returned the feelings he wouldn't be afraid to say so because he would know I already loved him back. If he didn't…well, I would get as many hugs and hands to hold as I could before he pushed me away. What I really wanted were his lips, but that was one place I was not willing to go. Tino would have to make that move first, and that was only if he liked me anyway. I figured I had a good enough chance, though.

The longest night of the year stretched on for what felt like ages. It was nice to not worry about the sun, but tiring at the same time. Even with the ability to move it was hard to occupy myself while Tino wasn't here. One day I decided to make him something in the snow to pass the time. It was a snow sculpture, complete with a white beret and a small ball of snow with ears and a tail by the larger one's feet. I'm not really an artist, but it still made him smile when he saw it.

"You made this? Wow, it's cute!" Tino investigated the snowman I worked diligently on to appear just like him. I got pretty close, but I couldn't ever make it good enough. It lacked his ability to make my heart melt at its smile. "Let's make one for you too!"

Tino started rolling the crunchy snow and I stooped down to help him. (His arm was out of the sling so he could move freely again.) Eventually we both made another snowman, this one appropriately taller than the snow-Tino, and I lifted the Finn in my arms so he could place the head with an icy replica of my hat on top. Before I set him down again he drew a face on it and giggled. I took a look and found myself staring at a very apathetic looking version of me. Is that really what he saw when he looked at my face? Did I really scowl that much?

"There, it's done!" Tino said. I took a step back to admire our work.

"No," I said simply. Tino gave me a puzzled look.

"Something wrong with it?" He asked. "Do you not like the face? Sorry…"

I shook my head and went to the snow-Su-san. With all my might I shoved the heavy packed ice and pushed it to the right until it was snuggly next to snow-Tino's side. Now it was a perfect picture.

Tino's cheeks flushed for a moment and he laughed. "Oh, that's what you mean! Yes, now it's perfect. Thank you very much, Su-san! This was fun."

I nodded and, without thinking, my hand came around and rested on his opposite hip. I felt him start and I pulled him a little closer until we were side by side just like the snowmen. A smile curled my lips up and I gave a heavy breath out. Tino didn't seem to be moving away so I took this as an okay.

Turns out it wasn't.

"Uh-um, Su-san?" he said meekly. "I need to be getting home soon, so…I really should get going."

I looked down and realized he was looking away from me. What did I do? Did I get too close? No, we've been closer. Was it the snowmen? Did he not like them close together looking like we were…well…

"Ok'y," I said and let go. Tino began walking to his car without looking back. "Hey!" That got his attention. I usually never call to him. "G'dbye?"

A look of surprise in his eyes. "Oh, yeah! Goodbye!" Tino waved and got into his vehicle to drive off. I watched his car disappear from the cemetery gates.

I hoped I didn't do anything to make him not want to come back. Whatever it was bothering him, he could tell me. He could always tell me.

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><p><strong>By now you'll notice this story goes kind of fast. It's only four chapters and it spans over the course of a few months. Tell me if the pacing still seems off, please!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**I drew a picture for this fic and put it on photobucket. :) The link is in the fanart corner of my profile if you wanna check it out. (I swear I draw better than a 2 year old!) I personally think it's cute.**

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><p>The never ending night made it impossible for me to know just how much time has passed, but I knew it was quite awhile. Stars rotated slowly over the sky and a small flurry of fresh snow blanketed the ground again and covered my footprints. The graveyard was in dark untouched peacefulness, glittering in the light of the moon.<p>

The snowmen Tino and I made were still standing, but one was starting to lean to the side a little and they looked blocky with the new thin layer of snow. I didn't dare touch them, for some reason it felt like I would be cursed if I did. I found myself at Lukas' grave to clean it of the ice that obscured his name. After doing so, I took a moment to stare at the headstone.

Cleanly cut, made of fine marble, and a small white ivory cross was imprinted in the front just above his name. A small inscription below the name was written in Norwegian, but I couldn't read it. Tino told me what it meant once but I was so busy concentrating on his hand in mine at the time that I didn't quite retain the information. Perhaps I should ask…if I ever saw him again.

The man in blue and white didn't come back since the day we made the snowmen. He seemed rather rushed to get away that day and it was constantly in my mind. What did I do to make him so weary of me? Was he mad? No, he couldn't be. Tino's eyebrows furrowed together and his cheeks puffed out when he was mad, kind of like a child. It was cute. The look Tino gave me was one of…fear? Did I scare him somehow?

Memories of that day continuously went through my head until I nearly drove myself mad. I just wanted Tino to be back. If I ever saw him again, I was going to apologize for whatever I did. He was my only friend here in this silent world of the forever sleeping and I don't know how life would be without him. For the first time, I truly felt lonely.

"Do yoo kn'w why T'no hasn't c'me back?" I asked the headstone when I sat down cross legged. People often came here and talked to their loved ones, so I decided I would try it. I never really knew Lukas but he was the one that let me meet the man I called my first friend. Through his death I found a purpose, and for that I was forever thankful. I had a deep respect for the man buried here from the stories Tino told me as well.

As expected, the headstone didn't answer. I sighed and got back up to, once again, wander the cemetery. The bone chilling cold hardly fazed me as my thoughts turned in circles around my head. There were only two reasons my friend wouldn't come back: He didn't like me anymore, or he was hurt. I really hoped he wasn't hurt. If Mathias did anything to Tino, I vowed to kill the drunken man with my bare hands.

An ominous light by the horizon signaled the end of this endless night. It wasn't long after the first incredibly short day in what was probably months that people started to come to the cemetery again. At first they came in droves to say hello to their departed loved ones as was customary on the first day of the New Year. I stood motionless in my frozen state watching the people but found no Tino. He didn't even come back to see Lukas on the day of reuniting? Something really was wrong. It couldn't have been me keeping him away from his friend. That means…Tino was in trouble somehow?

The sun set minutes later and my body could move once again. When the people left, too afraid of the bad luck associated with a graveyard at night, I tried to escape the cemetery like I had before but the gates were as far as I could go. This wasn't surprising; I tried to leave many times in my boredom. When I stepped out through the gates my body would begin to turn to stone again, whether it be night or day. What would I have to do to leave this place so I could find Tino? I wanted to help him and make sure he was alright!

OOOOOOOOOOO

Three days passed and the swarms of people died down considerably. Still no sign of Tino, and I was beginning to get restless. It didn't help when the snow-Tino fell over from exposure to the sun's warm rays. I really hoped it wasn't a premonition of Tino's actual state.

On the forth day it was quiet. There was about ten minutes of sunlight and most people already visited their dead…all but one in particular. A car could be heard pulling up to the gates and I focused on the entrance with hopeful thinking. It wasn't Tino, it was someone else with dark brown clothes and a white shirt underneath. He also had white laced up snow boots and matching gloves, as well as stark silver hair. From my distance he appeared to have a blank expression…until he turned around and gestured for someone else to follow.

It was the man in blue and white.

Tino was taking small slow steps towards the other man who was talking to him while he waited. If I weren't encased in stone at the moment my heart would have beaten out of my chest when he scanned the cemetery and found me standing in my normal stoic fashion by the tombs. Everything seemed to be alright with him so far. No broken bones, no sign of being ill. The only thing off was the expression on his face when he looked at me. He was surprised, then his wide eyes turned to anguish.

Tino took a glance back to the car, which appeared to have one more person in the passenger seat that wasn't moving much, and quickly jogged past the silver haired man towards me. He looked after him baffled and followed close behind. When Tino got to me he was panting lightly and slumped forward. Were those tears in his eyes? And what was that mark on his cheek? Was that a scar?

"Su-san! You…you're a statue again…" his voice wavered a little. The shorter man next to him looked at Tino, then to me, then back to Tino.

"Well of course he's a statue," the man murmured. When a tear rolled down the blonde's cheek over the new diagonal scar he realized there was something wrong. I myself wanted to do something, anything to show him I was still here! I needed to apologize to him, to hold him, to…to…

"Su-san, I'm so sorry!" Tino stepped forward and embraced me. I couldn't feel it of course, but something deep within my stone heart broke. "I didn't mean to leave and not come back, I just…that night I was just…I…" He wasn't quite crying, but his voice was definitely high pitched and strained.

"Tino, what's wrong? What has gotten into you?" The other man pried Tino off. I saw how red Tino's eyes were and how sad he looked to see me like this. All I could do was stand perfectly still like the gray rock I was carved from. "Why are you crying about a hunk of rock?"

Tino blinked back as much emotion as he could and didn't pry his eyes from me for a second. He squeezed the hand of his friend on his shoulder shakily. "This is Su-san, my friend I told you about. I left him here two months ago," he said sadly. "He's a living statue…or at least he was. He is frozen again." It was that moment I realized that I might not have ever told him about the sunlight. He must of thought I was back to being a statue forever. Tino turned his head and saw the snowmen that were slowly crumbling with age. "We built those together; it looks like the one he made fell over though."

The silver haired man was very confused. "What do you mean? Statues can't live, Tino. They are carved from rock."

"I know, Emil, but this one was alive! He spoke to me, he walked with me, he helped me, he listened…"

The man whom I now knew was Emil tugged on Tino's arm. "Okay then…come on, we need to get Mathias out of the car. The sun will only be up for a few more minutes and we don't want to be here when it sets."

"This place isn't so bad at night," Tino said with a sniff while he was being lead away. "Or maybe it is and Su-san was protecting me..." The two walked away and I felt utterly helpless. There was nothing I could do to show him I was alive. I wanted to know where that scar came from, and I wanted to beat Mathias' brains out with my bare fists when I found out it was because of him.

Both men went back to the car and dragged the other away from the passenger seat. He was much taller than them and had his head hung low. Mathias had bright spiky blonde hair and wore a long black coat with red trim. I expected him to look evil after all the things he did to Tino and probably Emil too, but this man was broken. His hands were shoved into his pockets as his slumped over form left heavy tracks in the crispy snow.

Mathias stopped when he came to Lukas' grave. The two used to be lovers, and I could only imagine what this was like for him. If it were Tino in the hole and I standing over it I don't think I would be able to stay up before I was down on my knees in anguish. The tall man did nothing as he stared down at the grave with Tino and Emil right behind. They let him be while he silently mourned.

Through the stories Tino told me, Mathias was a very nice man that was very caring towards his friends and family. Although a little brutish at times, everyone generally got along with him and their home was like a family. Then Lukas got in a car accident and Mathias ended up blaming himself for his death. He began to drink, and through his bitter suffering a violent side came about. Their happy home was torn in two. Tino was strong to put up with the abuse for so long. He had nowhere left to go, and he never blamed Mathias for anything he did to him. I hoped he was treated better since the last time I saw him, though the scar on his cheek said otherwise.

The climax of Mathias' first visit to Lukas' grave since the funeral was when he bent down and ran his hand over the headstone. He didn't say a word, he only felt the cold marble under a gloved hand and sunk to his knees. Something was whispered to the grave and an item placed at its base, then he stood.

"We should get going, Mathias," Emil tugged the back of his long black coat. The man turned around and looked at the two for a moment. Tino flinched at the gaze, but Emil stood strong. Mathias slowly took them into his arms in a loose hug and said something to them. Both Tino and Emil had tears in their eyes, but they were happy tears. Small smiles were evident on their faces.

The sun was almost about to set. I willed it to go down faster before the group could leave, but it wasn't until right after the car started and left that my limbs were freed from their stone prison. I walked to Lukas' grave to find the thing left behind. It was a small white hair clip in the shape of a white cross. It belonged to Lukas, no doubt.

I bowed my head to the man in the grave in respect and looked out to the appearing stars. Would I ever be free?

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><p><strong>There. Now you can't totally hate Denny. Both he and Waldy just need a hug. ;A;<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Last chapter! Thank you all for your kind words and reviews. :)**

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><p>Tino came back the next day, but this time he was alone. He paid his respects to Lukas and quickly came to me by the tombs. It was daytime so I was still frozen in place, unfortunately.<p>

"Su-san!" Tino looked happy to see me at first, then his expression dropped when he realized I wasn't going to answer back. He looked up at me and sighed, then took a seat on my base with his back leaning against my legs. The mood instantly dropped with his glum expression cradled in his arms. What I would give to bend down and show him I was still alive… "I'm not sure if you're still in there or if you're not, but…I just really want to talk to someone and you are the only person I can think of. I know you aren't going to answer but it can't hurt to talk to a rock, right?"

Listening to the Finn's voice was like music to my ears. It had been months since he told me things about his day or voiced his opinions on his coworkers. I enjoyed every second of it and cherished his mere presence. It started with some filling in, his tone cheerful and the topics ever changing. Tino spoke of his job at the coffee shop and some interesting customers he's been having. A new food he ate. What he wanted to do this summer. Slowly the conversation started leaning towards home, and then he revealed the reason why he didn't come see me during the long winter night.

Mathias found out where he went when he wasn't at home or at work. He was livid for some reason and after five or six drinks he only got angrier. He made Tino stop coming to the cemetery to say hello to Lukas. That time when they made snowmen together, Tino was not supposed to be there. He was supposed to be at home but he risked it in order to give me some company and he spent a little too much time making the snowmen with me. When he got back late, Mathias struck him with something rather sharp. That is where the scar came from.

The next morning when he sobered up, Mathias was sorry about the wound but was in no way lenient on the ban from the cemetery. He said it was because he was superstitious, but Tino suspected other reasons. The Dane didn't want to accept that Lukas was gone. It was two months later that both Emil and Tino were able to convince Mathias to stop drinking. He was making progress and being less violent now, and they even convinced him to come see his late husband. Making him visit the grave was a crucial step in recovery. That day he promised never to hurt either of the boys that stuck with him through his darkest hour despite the harm he caused. They really were a close knit family of sorts to stick together through such a thing.

Then Tino became silent. I could see him at the bottom of my vision and how his shoulders drooped with the pause. He leaned more on his knees and sighed. "I have had a very long time to think things over now. This entire time I couldn't stop thinking about you and how you were still here, lonely and bored. You must have thought I hated you after the way I left that one time. I don't hate you, Su-san. I could never hate you. You have been so nice to me, a shoulder to lean on you know? You helped me out so much last year just by listening. Thank you so much."

Nothing can explain the rush of emotion I felt when Tino said these things to me. This entire time he thought about me, just as I thought of him. He even worried about me throughout the cold nights. Apparently I even helped him by just being here, which is all a statue can really do. If only I could thank him for all he has done for me! He's my sunrise in the never ending darkness, the one that made me feel like more than a hunk of rock, the one that gave me a name.

"I can only hope you didn't hate me before you turned back into stone." Tino buried his face in his arms as he crouched on the base at my stone feet. I heard a small sound like a tiny sob. "Su-san, I love you…I just didn't really understand it at the time. You must have liked me too; you were always so close to me and willing to listen to my stupid ranting no matter what. Now I can only ask for forgiveness…I'm so sorry, Su-san. I really hope you can forgive me…."

Damn it, sun! Go down faster! I was enthralled that Tino actually confessed to loving me, but he thought I hated him? I could never hate him! I had to tell him, I had to show Tino that he was everything to me! That couldn't happen no matter how hard I tried until the darkness came, and it was still minutes until the sun set. Tino was already standing up to leave and I was stuck standing here like a…like a statue!

"Goodbye, Su-san. I'll make sure to come back often, and I'll visit you each time okay? I don't know if you are still in there, but if you are…" Tino bit his bottom lip and faced me. Slowly he came closer and stood on his toes on my marble base until he was inches from my stone face. My sight was filled with soft purple eyes. "I…I love you, and I think I always will."

His eyes closed and his head came forward to close the distance between us. Just like that there were soft lips upon my hard ones, kissing me sweetly and carefully. I felt his warmth as my own surged through me. This was the most wonderful feeling…wait. Feeling? I could feel Tino kissing me? Yes, I could…I felt the sensation tingle on my lips. I suddenly felt his ungloved hands cupping my face. I could feel his eyelashes tickle my skin.

My arms began to regain their ability to move. They made sharp jerky movements and cracking sounds while the stone began to recede, but it was enough to reach forward and grab Tino's coat. The man broke the kiss with a gasp and looked into my face which was starting to turn from gray rock to pink skin. Very pink skin. The heat was radiating from my burning cheeks and almost created steam in the cold air.

"S-su-san?" Tino exclaimed when I was able to blink and focus my blue eyes on his beautiful violet ones. "You…you're…!"

I didn't give him a chance to get away and my lips went crashing over his. He squeaked when I pulled him closer and wrapped my freed arms around his smaller figure. Tino quickly relaxed when the kiss deepened and his hands gripped the wool fabric of my coat. There we stood in each other's arms until he pulled away from me delicately and short of breath. Tino's eyes were brimmed with tears and I wiped them away with my gloved thumb.

"T'no," I said his name breathlessly and his smile only got wider. He looked like he was going to burst into tears and took his arms away from around my neck and used them to pull me off my marble stand. I stepped on the ground with a soft thud and he took my hand in his.

"Su-san, I can't believe this! You are back!" he laughed and embraced me, nuzzling my chest with his cute face that already regained the tears I tried to wipe away. I smiled and nodded, gripping him back.

"Yah." It was then I realized that the sun hadn't gone down yet. I was alive again, but it wasn't night time? Was this real? Did I really feel the sun's rays on my face while I stared down at the one I loved who confessed to loving me back? It must have been the kiss! "T'no, yoo saved m'!"

"Huh?" the man looked up. "Saved you? How?"

"S'nlight," I explained and pointed to the setting sun. "It turns m' into st'ne. Yoo saved m'!"

"Oh!" Tino exclaimed. "You mean you can only be alive at night?"

"Hm, n'w m' alive in the d'y. Th'nk yoo. And I l've yoo, T'no, I alw'ys h've…"

I took him into another hug and pressed Tino to my chest. I didn't ever want to let him go again, he was the one that saved me from my stone prison. He broke whatever spell was over me and I was liberated from the rock to walk among those of the daylight. I was free!

Tino hugged me back and laughed. "I-I can't believe this, Su-San… I love you too!" We took the time to take each other in before he gently pulled away. "This is great! So now you can go anywhere? You won't become a statue again? You are human? Oh, you should come home with me! The guys will love you!"

I nodded and took a final look around the graveyard that was my home for as long as I could remember. Whatever it was that hexed me and made me come to life, I thanked it. My purpose was never to guard the tombs, it was to find and protect Tino. I would lay down my life for this mission and bring him as much happiness as he brought me and perhaps more if I could muster it. I could do anything now that I was free.

The small man in blue and white lead me by the hand to the gates and I slipped easily past them without turning back into stone. The joy I felt to be finally leaving this place was overwhelming and the first thing I did when I got in the car next to Tino was pull the man into another kiss. He didn't refuse, but he did mention that I can't do that while he's driving or we'll crash.

Tino started the car and we pulled away from the iron gates. I looked out my window to the countless graves and saw someone standing among them. That was odd, I didn't remember anyone else being there just now. There were no other cars parked here either. Who was it?

The person was a man with light blonde hair parted to the side with a small clip. He wore a blue hat and dark purple coat and his body seemed to glow in the fading light. I could see his dazzling blue eyes from here. The man stood right where Lukas' grave should have been and waved slowly to me as we pulled away. Somehow I knew this person was thanking me. Don't ask me how or why, but I just knew. Tino didn't see him, but I didn't say anything. I realized who it was when the man faded away. I thanked him back in my own thoughts with a soft smile.

We were on the road into the town close by when Tino took my hand. I squeezed it and leaned back in my seat which was very comfortable compared to the stone seats of the cemetery. I was feeling so relaxed that my eyes drifted shut, and before long I was fast asleep for the first time.

"Th'nk yoo, T'no…"

I felt a squeeze back, and before I knew it I was home.

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><p><strong>END.<strong>

**Yeah, that part with the 'unknown' person in the cemetery is a little corny...but I had it in my head that Su-San came to life because of him. It would be appropriate to have him waving goodbye, wouldn't it? That's what I keep telling myself. I like the idea that from death comes life. I hope it wasn't too bad for an ending that could have come from a Disney movie. (The only difference: Mathias didn't fall from an incredible height.)**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing!**


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